These days it’s sort of a trend to read comics on tablets. That’s mainly because of the comfortability they provide. The bright big screen coupled with other features makes tablets an important gadget for anyone who wants to read comics.
But what are its other features? Surely you won’t just buy a tablet for reading comics. Tablets are ideal for browsing the web, watching movies, reading novels, and more.
That’s why it’s necessary to pick a tablet that can not only serve as a comic book reader but can also do other things with ease. But what are the things that make a good tablet great? Features such as a good processor, display, RAM, and battery life are things to consider while buying a tablet for comics.
That’s why in today’s article we’ll be taking a look at some of the best tablets for comics. We’ve taken the overall usability here as a factor of judging them.
Let’s begin!
Our Recommendations
- Apple iPad Air – Best Overall
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 – Best In Colors
- Galaxy Tab S6 Lite – Best In Features
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e – Best In Portability
- Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet – Best Tablet With Fast Response Time
- Lenovo Tab M8 (2nd Gen) – Best In Price
- Apple iPad Pro – Best In Battery Life
Apple iPad Air
Is there a better way to begin an article without the best product? We don’t think so! The best tablet for comics overall is the Apple iPad Air! Though this wasn’t mainly designed for comics, it fits the frame of the best tablet for comics.
The iPad Air is a portable and lightweight tablet that was designed for people that are always on the go. The iPad Air weighs a mere 465 grams. You can just chuck it in your backpack and go wherever you want! The iPad Air also has 3GB of RAM, so you won’t have to worry about it lagging at all.
So what features does the iPad Air have? A lot! There’s a 10.5-inch Retina Display. This in particular is great for comics as you’d be getting accurate colors. Its resolution of 2224×1668 pixels is more than enough for someone who wants to read comics on a bigger screen.
As for the processor, the iPad Air comes with an A12 Bionic chip. This is the same processor that’s used in phones such as iPhone XR and iPhone XS. The battery life on the iPad Air is about 10 hours.
However, there are two base variants in terms of connectivity and storage. You can go for both cellular and Wi-Fi connections or just Wi-Fi. There’s also either a 64GB or 256 GB storage variant available.
Overall, the iPad Air is a universal model for a great overall tab. There isn’t a downside that’s worth mentioning. It’s the perfect tablet for comics alongside much other stuff.
Pros
- At just 465grams, it’s very lightweight and portable.
- Equipped with the superfast A12 Bionic chip.
- 3GB of superfast RAM.
- The 10.5-inch Retina Display has wide Color and true tone.
- The 2224×1668 pixel resolution is more than enough for comics.
- Decent battery backup of 10 hours on a full charge.
Cons
- Lacks a headphone jack.
- It can be a bit expensive if purchased just for the purpose of reading comics.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 was released last month and it’s undoubtedly the best android tablet available on the market. So it’s a no-brainer that it’d be great for comics and graphic novels too.
The S7 is more like a tablet and laptop combo as you can enter dex mode with the optional keyboard. It weighs around 500 grams and the whole body is aluminum. It also comes with an S pen which has one of the lowest latencies (9 ms).
The Galaxy S7 Tab features a Snapdragon 865+ chipset. It runs on 8 cores and an Adreno 650 GPU. While it has serious raw power inside itself, it also comes with a considerable amount of storage. You can get up to 512GB UFS 3.0 storage and 8 GB RAM with this tablet.
The display on this tablet is perfect for graphic novels and comics. The IPS LCD has a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ color. So expect vibrant and colorful comics on your display. The notches and border aren’t that visible thanks to the 83.6% screen-to-body ratio.
However, if you just want a tablet for reading comics then the S7 might just be a bit expensive for you.
Overall, the Galaxy Tab S7 has a diverse utility set and is useful for a lot of things on top of reading comics.
Pros
- The aluminum body is strong and comfy to grip on.
- A powerful Snapdragon 865+ chipset can power through almost any task.
- Up to 512GB fast UFS 3.0 storage.
- The 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ color of IPS LCD are perfect for comics and graphic novels.
- Barely noticeable bezels (83.6% screen-to-body ratio).
- The Best android tablet currently!
Cons
- Expensive.
Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
The S6 lite is the perfect tab for graphic novels and comics. It’s not too expensive and comes with decent features to read comics and graphic novels comfortably.
Let’s start with the body. It weighs roughly 460grams. The body and frame are aluminum and the front is glass. It’s comfortable to hold and not too heavy. So it’s great for those longer reading sessions. It’s one of the newer releases this year as it features both Android 10 and One UI 2.0.
The S6 Lite has up to 128GB internal storage and 4GB Ram on all versions. However, you can add more storage with a microSD card up to 512GB. The battery is Li-po 7040 mAh and supports 18Watt fast charging. The battery life is long too at 13 hours of standby time.
The display as we mentioned is good. The display is TFT rather than being LCD. It comes with an 81.6% screen-to-body ratio. So the bezels aren’t that visible. And finally, it runs on an Exynos 9611 chipset.
However, it’s an alright tablet but far from the best. So if you just want a tablet for reading comics and doing simple tasks then go for this one. We don’t recommend this one for gaming or other creative purposes.
Pros
- Strong and comfortable aluminum body.
- Up to 512GB storage with MicroSD card.
- The 7040 mAh battery can give backup up to 13 hours.
- Fewer bezels thanks to an 81.6% screen-to-body ratio.
- It runs on a powerful Exynos 9611 chipset.
- 4GB Ram ensures fast app loading time.
Cons
- TFT display.
- Not suitable for gaming.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e
As weird as this might sound, not everyone prefers an iPad. Some people prefer android tabs. So if you’re someone who wants an Android tab for reading comics, there isn’t a better choice than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e.
The biggest selling point of the Galaxy Tab S5e is its portability. At just 400g, it’s one of the lightest tabs currently. You can carry it with you anywhere you go. The Galaxy Tab S5e also has a 10.5 inches Super AMOLED display with an immersive 16:10 ratio widescreen. The display resolution of 2560 x 1600 is by far the best for comic books.
The Galaxy Tab S5e is ran by a Snapdragon 670 chipset. It also has a pretty fast 4GB RAM. It comes with a base internal storage of either 64GB or 128GB. You can expand that up to 512 GB with micro SD cards.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e also has a super long battery life of just above 14 hours. It also comes with an interesting free feature. You’ll get 4 months of ad-free YouTube Music and Youtube with this tab. That’s worth about $25.
However, like the iPad, you won’t be getting a headphone port. The design is also a bit bland for the price.
Overall, it is the best android tab for comics. Though it has minor problems, it’s still worth the price.
Pros
- At just 400g, it’s one of the lightest tabs currently.
- It runs on the Snapdragon 670 chipset.
- The display is a 10.5 inches Super AMOLED display.
- The display resolution of 2560 x 1600 is by far the best for comic books.
- Equipped with a fast 4GB RAM.
- The base storage is expandable up to 512 GB with micro SD cards.
- It comes with 4 months of ad-free YouTube Music and Youtube
- Super-long battery life of just above 14 hours.
Cons
- Lacks headphone port.
- The design is a bit bland.
Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet
We’ve come a long way into the article without a budget option right? Don’t worry! We won’t keep you waiting anymore! The Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet is our pick for the budget option tab for comics!
According to the developers of the Fire HD 10 tab, this tab was designed for widescreen entertainment. The 10.1″ 1080p full HD display proves that the claim was right. We found the display to be very responsive and vibrant. It also has a resolution of 1920 x 1200 with 224 PPI brightness.
The Amazon Fire HD 10 tab is powered by a 2.0 GHz Octa-core processor. It also has 2 GB RAM. We would’ve liked a bit more RAM. It has a base internal storage of 32GB or 64GB. This is expandable up to 512 GB with micro SD cards.
The 12-hour battery life is sufficient for the majority of the users. If you think that’s not enough, there’s also a 9W fast charger included in the box. You can just plug it any time for a quick charging session.
The only complaint we have is that you won’t get access to any Google Play Store applications. The camera isn’t up to mark if compared with Samsung Tabs and Apple iPads.
Overall, this is a pretty solid tablet for a comic book enthusiast. It has a few downsides, but for a budget option, this is the best tablet.
Pros
- Affordable price.
- Vibrant 10.1″ 1080p full HD display.
- Powered by a strong 2.0 GHz Octa-core processor.
- Storage is expandable up to 512GB.
- Good battery life of 12 hours.
- A 9W fast charger is included in the box for quick charging.
Cons
- Doesn’t support Play ore applications.
- The camera is a bit of a letdown.
Lenovo Tab M8 (2nd Gen)
Sure the Fire HD 10 is a budget option. But what if you could get something even cheaper? The Lenovo M8 is a seriously good tab for a much cheap price!
As the price is a bit low, there are bound to be a lot of absent features. We can see that on the display. Unlike other tabs, this is an 8″ HD (1280 x 800) display. But don’t let the smaller display fool you. It still provides exceptional color accuracy and views for comic lovers. It also has an 82% panel-to-body ratio.
The inside of this tablet is pretty decent as well. It runs on a Quad-Core, 2.0 GHz processor, and Android 9 Pie. It also has 2GB and 32GB of RAM and storage, respectively.
The Lenovo M8 also has a special light and display technology. This technology blocks out harmful blue light letting thus it lets you read comics for a longer period without your eyes straining out.
Undoubtedly the best feature of the Lenovo M8 is its battery. On tests conducted, it ran up to 18+ hours! You can use the tab all day without worrying about the battery draining out. However, it doesn’t feature fast charging and needs up to 5 hours to fully charge.
Overall, the Lenovo M8 is a cheap tab providing good features. However, it also cuts out features such as fast charging. If you’re alright with this then it would be perfect for you.
Pros
- The 8″ HD display has an 82% panel-to-body ratio.
- It runs on a Quad-Core, 2.0 GHz processor.
- It runs on Android Pie 9.0.
- Decent 2GB RAM and 32GB of storage.
- It comes with blue light blocking technology.
- Super long battery life of 18+ hours.
Cons
- No fast charging.
- Weak camera and speaker.
Apple iPad Pro
Say what? You weren’t impressed with any of the tabs in this list? Well, fasten your seatbelts then! The iPad Pro is bound to leave you impressed!
We’ll be honest with one thing here. It’s the most expensive tab currently that’s why the features are top-notch. The iPad Pro has a 12.9‑inch Liquid Retina display with ProMotion technology True Tone and P3 Wide color gamut. Rest assured, your comic reading experience will seem as real as possible!
The inside of the iPad Pro is also as good as the outside. It features a super fast and super strong A12Z Bionic chip with 64-bit desktop-class architecture with Neural Engine and Embedded M12 coprocessor. The 10-hour battery life is also more than enough for a day of uninterrupted usage.
As for the storage, the iPad Pro has 4 base variants: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB. Apple has also stepped up its game in terms of RAM. You’ll be getting 6GB RAM no matter which variation of storage you pick.
Our only real complaint is that this is too expensive to be bought just for reading comics.
So, if you’re planning to use the iPad Pro regularly and read comic books as a leisure thing then there isn’t a better tab than the iPad Pro.
Pros
- The Vibrant 12.9‑inch Liquid Retina display.
- The display has unique features such as ProMotion technology True Tone and P3 Wide color gamut.
- The A12Z Bionic chip is super fast and super strong.
- Decent 10-hour battery life.
- Features 4 separate storage options.
- Superfast 6GB ram.
Cons
- Too expensive.
Final Thoughts
Comic books are connected to our childhood. Whether you’re buying one for yourself or someone else, you need to make sure that it lasts long.
Our top recommendations would be the iPad Air and Samsung S5e. However, if you’re on a tight budget then the Lenovo M8 and Fire HD 10 would be a great choice too. No matter which one you pick from this list, you’ll not be disappointed.
While there are tablets designed explicitly for reading, there are tablets that can be used for both readings as well as performing other tasks. When purchasing a tablet for comics, the most important thing that you should look out for is the compatibility of the device with the digital comics. Also consider size, battery life, and resolution.
You will be wasting your money or worse still setting yourself up for failure if your device does not get all these things right.